This post is written by CompTIA, a Diamon Level sponsor of the 2018 Advance CTE Spring Meeting.
Currently, there are more than 600,000 open IT jobs and not nearly enough qualified candidates to fill them.  Does anyone anticipate this number going down?  We certainly don’t.  As everything becomes more and more connected—lightbulbs, appliances, smart grids—the need also increases to maintain and secure these connections.  In addition, IT is everywhere!  There is NO industry which doesn’t have IT needs.
Did you know:

• Median IT job salaries are nearly $40,000 higher than non-IT jobs
• The global IT industry now exceeds $5 TRILLION and is expected to grow 5% in 2018
• According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the IT Security Analyst position is the fastest growing job they have ever seen
• 85 percent of executives indicate there is an IT skills gap in their business

A great way to visualize the size of the skills gap is to visit the website  www.CyberSeek.org.  This site was developed from a grant from the National Initiative for CyberSecurity Education (NICE) and data from Burning Glass.  The site includes very recent job data to illustrate the need for qualified cyber workers by state, region and nation.  There is also a cyber pathway tool that shows specific cyber jobs, salaries and openings in the US.
We need to work together to help students and educators understand the vast opportunities in technology careers.  Employers are looking for candidates that can demonstrate the skills needed to fill technology positions in almost every industry sector.
Providing students with the proper preparation AND an industry-recognized credential will help them stand out during their career search.  Keeping skills current and relevant is a challenge, but one answer is to ensure that they obtain Industry-Recognized Certifications.  More than 72 percent of businesses say they believe IT skills certifications are becoming more important.
CompTIA is at the forefront of helping prepare students to become job-ready: 

• We have certified more than 2 million individuals worldwide, and are the largest vendor-neutral IT certification body in the world
• Our certifications are recognized globally
• Our Academy Partner Program works with secondary and post-secondary schools to support their efforts to train and certify students
• We now have our own CompTIA Training Strategies Group, which can do custom training for trainers or students

What can you do NOW to help properly prepare students for a rewarding IT career?  It must first start in our high schools:

• Instructors need to be certified in the certifications they are teaching
• Help students understand the importance recognized certification credentials;
• Certifications=Jobs, and most colleges provide credit for industry-recognized certifications towards a degree
• Combine classroom-based instruction with work-based learning opportunities—apprenticeships, visits to local businesses, etc.

CompTIA is here to help!  Our Academy Partner Program (free to schools) provides:

• Complimentary instructor vouchers and CertMaster online learning companion
• Significantly discounted certification vouchers for students
• CompTIA Instructor Network community to network with other teachers and provide webinars on how to teach our certifications.
• Research, posters, case studies and other resources

Working together, we can help students get started towards an exciting career in the tech industry.  Please stop by our tabletop to learn more.